Ser Bronn and Rowena
by Rowena2012
Summary: I've decided to break off the story into a second volume - no new content yet! A continuation of "The Sellsword and The Maiden". As their story continues, things start to get a bit more heated as the dynamics of the relationship fall into place...I am not sure if I will have to relocate or not, but don't want to break any rules here on FanFiction...
1. Chap 1 Bronn's Victory, A Lord Defeated

**A Lord Defeated**

Rowena felt that she could lose herself completely, and float away on the sensations that were overtaking her. Her head was fuzzy, and she wanted to give in to that feeling as if it were a pool of warm clear water, floating, sinking, letting herself drift away with him. But then Bronn pulled his mouth away from hers suddenly, and let his head drop back as he groaned as if in agony.

One of the nearby men laughed, Don't get carried away now, he chided. And then leaning on Bronn's shoulder, turned his attention to Rowena, wagging a finger at her.

"No women before battle, love, you don't want to send a man into battle in a weakened stated, now do you?

Ha! Laughed another extremely drunk boy behind him, who looked much younger than Rowena. He likes to leave the f***ing til after the fighting! Thinks it makes him harder in the battle, all that lust built up in him." More laughter.

_Perhaps you should leave the drinking until after the fighting_, Rowena thought to herself, bristling at his coarseness. But then she tried to put her reactions in check, remembering where she was.

Bronn only showed his amusement in his eyes, enjoying watching her reactions, digging his fingers idly into the soft flesh around her hips. "But they're right," he said, "I can't have you now. Otherwise, I'd take you right here on this table."

She felt the heat rising in her cheeks at the thought of that, frightened and also ashamed that the idea excited her. She wondered if he was going to send her away now.

"You do know what men are like AFTER battle?" He said, all traces of a smile vanishing from his face. She knew what he meant, she'd heard stories of how men behaved when they'd won a battle, how the invaders would behave even worse should the city fall. She shuddered at the thought and closed her eyes, not wanting to think about that possibility.

He didn't say anymore, he could tell by her reaction that she knew well enough how it would be if he came to her afterwards. He cocked his head towards the man sitting next to him, but his eyes were locked on hers.

"What shall I do with this one?" He asked the man, as if she wasn't there.

The man shook his head and looked serious, as if this were indeed a puzzle. "She is very beautiful, so young and pure looking", he mused. "I don't know that I could resist if I were you. Where did you find her? And how is it that we've never seen her?"

"Oh, she's been hidden away for safe keeping." Bronn replied, laughing now.

The man laughed. "Well someone's not doing their job very well at all if she's here with the likes of you!"

Bronn laughed. "Oh but that's the beauty of it, you see, I'm the one's supposed to be keeping her safe."

The man howled with laughter now. "Well that was their first mistake, wasn't it?!" He bellowed, eyeing Rowena even more curiously now.

"So just how did you manage it?" The man asked, genuinely curious.

"Right place, right time, I guess." He said, flashing a rarely seen boyish smile that she loved. "Found out someone even more unsavory than myself was pursuing her - and her virtue. And decided I should get myself charged with the task of being her protector."

He turned and picked up his mug of wine and now looked directly at Rowena as he spoke.

"She was worry enough to my mind from the first moment I laid eyes on her, might as well get paid for my troubles."

The man looked like he was having to think too hard, and possibly too drunk, to laugh now, and he just shook his head. He was obviously impressed with the cunning of this plan but gave Bronn an accusing look. The sellsword only laughed again. "I have never claimed to be a man of honor," he said, shaking his own head in defense. Then a thought came to the drunken man, and he asked who could possibly be more unsavory than a lowborn sellsword working for an imp…

When he got his answer, he bellowed with laughter again, and slapped Bronn hard on the back. "Well done. Very well done." He gave Rowena one last look. Lucky bastard", he said, shaking his head and still laughing to himself, as he got up and wandered off in search of more wine or a girl for himself.

"So are you saying you tricked them?" Rowena asked him, when the man was gone.

"Oh no, I made it very clear from the beginning that I wanted you for myself." He spoke candidly. "They said I had nothing to offer you, and that you'd never have me."

"So I made them a deal. If you came to me willingly, of your own accord, they would have to accept it." He smiled now, taking a sip of wine, and laughing to himself. "They agreed, because they never thought I could win you over."

"From the very first time I saw you in the market…" He mused. "And then when you weren't afraid of me...or afraid to speak your mind," he added with a laugh. "You never judged me or looked down upon me, not any more than I deserved anyway," he smiled at her. "Oh, I was determined to have you. No matter what."

Rowena sighed and realized she felt quite relaxed and at ease, as much as she could in this moment. She idly ran her hand across the rough fabric of his tunic, feeling the hard muscles beneath it. Her other hand caressed his cheek and scratched the whiskers on this face.

"Oh if only I _could_ have you right here and now." He mused, not sounding as frustrated as he had a moment ago. Rowena was still confused, and another man next to them, who she now realized must've been observing them, chimed in. "He don't go with women before battle, love, wants to make sure his blood's up for killin'" he said with a laugh. "But you'll find plenty of other takers, as beautiful as you are."

Rowena looked at Bronn then, muscles tensing in his jaw, but he surprised her by ignoring the comment and she could see he was thinking. She wasn't sure whether to be nervous or not…

"No, I don't," he confirmed to the man stiffly, "But maybe there is a way I could have a taste of you before I go." He said, returned his wicked grin back to Rowena, making her shiver with that now familiar feeling of anticipation and fear. But she was committed to this now, and knew she would follow him wherever he chose to take her on this journey.

Something behind them caught his attention and he nodded and smiled, raising his cup to whoever it was. She turned to see Alia, who was peeking from behind a curtain and subtly waving them over.

"Let's see what we can do with you," he said, looking more serious now, his mind still working. He stood up, lifting her with him, both of his hands spread on her ass to hold her up, so that she was still wrapped around his waist, and kissed her roughly again before setting her down lightly on her feet. He took her by the hand and led her to the curtain where Alia had now disappeared from sight.

When they passed behind the curtain, the squire trailing a respectable distance behind, Alia was waiting for them. She gestured down a long hallway, where curtains hung all the way down both sides, and spoke to Bronn. "All the way at the end."

He nodded as if he understood, and Rowena saw that Alia discreetly handed him a piece of white cloth, which he took in his other hand, as he led a still confused Rowena towards the end of the hall. As they passed the curtains, she realized that each one covered an alcove of sorts, some with curtains completely closed, some open, and in each one there was all sorts of activity going on. Some of which Rowena had never even imagined, but involved naked bodies, men and women, and not just couples. She turned her eyes away, blushing, and then peeked up to see that Bronn was watching her, observing how she reacted. He only smiled knowingly, and she could tell he was somewhat enjoying her embarrassment, but he squeezed her hand reassuringly and she felt safe and secure with him.

When they reached the end of the hallway, the last alcove was at the end and in the middle, making it much larger than the rest. He led her inside and instructed her to close the curtains, which she did as well as she could, trying to make sure no openings were left in the fabric. These curtains were much heavier, not sheer like all the others thru the hallway, and she realized that this was a much more private area, which Alia had sent them to purposely.

Inside, there were several steps up to reach the inside of the chamber. The walls were lined on all three sides with stone benches, a bit higher than a normal chair. The raised center of the room was covered with fabrics and furs, and Bronn guided her up the steps and turned her to face him.

"Sit" he commanded softly. She did as she was told, trying to sit as lady-like as possible, but then she saw him laugh and knew that was not what he had in mind. He grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her quickly forward, so that she was sitting on the edge of the top step, and now he knelt before her, placing his hands on her knees and moving between them before she could object. They were face to face now and she was more nervous than ever, and he stroked and soothed her with his rough but firm hands as she trembled violently from head to toe.

He began to kiss her again as his hands slipped inside her dress, finding her breasts and she heard herself moan out loud at his touch. Then his lips began to trail down her neck and shoulder, as he pushed aside her gown and kissed her breast softly before finally placing his lips on her nipple, and she gasped loudly at the unexpected and intense sensation. He growled and she realized he was responding to her reaction, closing her eyes and reveling in the feeling. He repeated the process on her other breast, first teasing around her nipple before actually taking it in his mouth, and this time she found herself instinctively trying to move her nipple towards his lips. He stopped and looked at her and smiled, approving of her response.

"Lie back" he said, as he place one hand on her back and the other in the center of her chest and pushed her gently backwards until she was lying on her back, and he was standing between her knees. She felt his hands near her ankles, gathering the material of her dress as he slowly slid it up and over her legs to expose her nakedness. She instinctively tried to press her knees together, but only managed to squeeze them tightly against his hips.

He laughed at her vain attempt, leaning over her and taking her chin in his hand to look into her eyes. "No, love," he said gently but sternly, "You cannot refuse me anything now. You will do as I say, do you understand?"

She looked at him, still frightened but excited and nodded. He didn't move, but gave her that same expectant look, cocking an eyebrow, waiting for her to respond.

"Yes," she whispered quickly, "I will."

He touched her cheek and kissed her softly and then moved back to his spot between her knees, as he pushed them further apart, lifting her legs into the air, exposing herself to him in such a way as she had never even imagined. Her face was red and flushed, and as he bent his head to place soft kisses on her inner thighs, she realized his intentions, and tried not to panc, tho she wanted to resist, to stop him. But another part of her did not, and this was the part she realized she had just agreed to. She was his, and this is what he'd meant. She tried her best to relax and closed her eyes, but when he finally bent his head between her legs she was completely unprepared for it. But he held her legs firmly in place, and she knew she would not be able to escape if she wanted to.

Gradually, the strangest feelings started growing in her, something was building and it was the most amazing feeling, but also frightened her, because she didn't know what was happening. She grabbed his shoulder, digging into his flesh with her fingers…."Bronn?" she gasped, fear and confusion clear in her voice.

He pulled her hand away and pushed it back. "Just lie back and let it happen, love." He spoke reassuringly, and that was all she needed. She dropped her head onto the furs behind her and tried to let herself go, and in moments, she had no choice. Her whole body began to tremble, building to a crescendo, she didn't know where it was leading and she didn't care. And then her whole body erupted into a feeling of ecstasy, wave after wave of pleasure like she had never known flooded her entire being and she felt her legs jerk and convulse as her whole body let go, and melted under his mouth, his tongue. She realized, too late, that she had cried out VERY loudly at that moment, but she was no longer self-conscious, only lost in what he doing to her, and making her body do.

After several long minutes, he pulled himself up to her chest, trailing kisses along the way, stopping to suckle each breast, before kissing her again passionately. Then he just looked into her eyes, smiling, watching her face, as she gasped and trembled and tried to catch her breath.

She had never felt so relaxed and spent in her life and wanted this to go on forever, but after a few moments, he spoke, bringing her back down to earth.

"There is one more thing," he said, suddenly very serious. She was still high on endorphins and felt like she was floating, so she was not as concerned as she might've been when he finally spoke to her, now very serious.

"There is one more thing. If for some reason I don't return…"

She sat up and grabbed his face in both of her hands, suddenly panicked at the thought.

"Please don't say that!" she cried.

He took her hands and pulled them gently away from his face, holding them both in his, and continued to speak.

"The one thing that makes you so valuable to Lord Baelish is not something I can personally take care of right now, but I can make it so that he thinks I did."

She looked at him, still confused, but willing to listen, as he reached behind his back, where she knew he kept a dagger.

"He will be very angry," Bronn continued, "but you will be safely confined to my rooms until I return. Do you want me to go through with it?" He asked, eyeing her with some concern now, realizing she wasn't quite sure what he was talking about.

But she decided he would know best, and she nodded quickly. Again, he gave her that look, and she quickly spoke. "Yes, please."

He nodded, somewhat solemnly, and told her to lie back again.

"When I return, I will have you properly," he said, as he pulled the dagger from his waist band behind him, which made her even more nervous as it came into view. "But for now, this will assure that Baelish does not seek you out for your precious and very valuable virginity…"

Rowena was growing more nervous by the minute, but part of her was starting to understand what he was saying. She DID know something about that part of it, and that once there had been blood, she would no longer be considered a virgin…or pure.

She said nothing, but tried her best to relax and closed her eyes. Bronn placed a hand on her thigh. She could feel the leather covered handle of his dagger against her soft skin there. With his other hand, he began to run his fingers between her legs, where she was still incredibly sensitive and, she now realized, dripping wet. He slid a finger inside her and she gasped, then another and moved them in and out slowly. She sighed loudly at the feeling of it, now knowing that she wanted him to have her here and now, but knowing he wouldn't. But still not knowing what was to come….

Then she felt the handle of the dagger there, between her legs, moving up and down against the wetness, the feeling was amazing and she was too lost in it to be frightened anymore.

Then the handle was there, pressed against her, and she felt it pushing into her, inside her, deeper and deeper, it was strange and slightly uncomfortable, but not at all unpleasant. Involuntarily, she called out his name, knowing that she wanted this to be him, his manhood, here, now, no matter where they were…

And then she felt a stab of pain and cried out, but he had a hand on her chest, holding her down firmly. It was only a brief pain and then she began to adjust to the feeling of it, as he slid the leather handle in and out, a little deeper each time. His hand moved up to her breasts, kneading and then twisting and tugging at her nipples. At the same time she felt his mouth on her again, and that same feeling, one of an impending explosion, began to build.

Afterwards, as she lay floating in the feelings of overwhelming pleasure, she saw him remove the dagger and wipe it off with the cloth that Alia had provided. She now realized the purpose, as she saw the faint traces of blood left on the white cloth. He leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips and the forehead, and suddenly the bells began to toll and the whole place erupted into a rush of activity and loud panicked voices.

Bronn remained calm, as he helped her sit up and straightened her dress, and then helped her to her feet. As they headed into the hallway back to the front of the building, they heard loud voices arguing, including Alia's, and then she recognized the angry voice of Petyr Baelish.

Before they reached the end of the hallway, the Lord had burst thru the curtains, with several guards in tow, striding down the hall towards them. Bronn stopped midway, stepping protectively in front of Rowena, with his arm tightly around her waist.

"Step aside, sellsword", the lord spoke venomously. "I know who she is, and you know that she is my property."

"I'm afraid she belongs to me, now," Bronn spoke calmly. "And as I was told it, you threw her mother into the streets like so much garbage, so I'd say you abandoned any claim on her child then."

Bronn was standing his ground calmly, while the Lord seethed with anger.

"And what claim would you have on this girl?" he asked Bronn once he was composed enough to speak. "What would her guardians think if they knew she was here with you?"

"Ask them yourselves", Bronn replied arrogantly, with a smug and insolent smile on his face. "They are in full agreement with the arrangement. As is Tyrion."

Now the Lord turned to Rowena, who took a step forward, with Bronn's hand still firmly and reassuringly at her back.

"Tell me what this is about, Rowena?" he said, eyeing her suspiciously and growing more and more impatient. "Are you here of your own volition?"

"Yes." She responded confidently, watching the anger flare in his eyes, his face growing redder by the moment.

"And you belong to this man?" He asked this thru gritted teeth.

"Yes." She answered, standing more confidently, knowing that her sellsword was both amused and impressed.

Lord Baelish thought for a moment, turned to one of his guards, and told them to send for the aunt and uncle, before turning his attention back to Rowena for a glowering once over.

"And I suppose Tyrion played a role in this arrangement?" he spoke to Bronn now, who remained completely calm.

"Of course, " replied Bronn, "along with her guardians. It was all done with the utmost propriety." He smiled broadly at the lord, knowing it would only fuel his anger.

"Well it can still be prevented if I can prove that she belongs to me."

"Oh, I don't think so," replied a smiling Bronn. "It's too late now." And he pulled the piece of white cloth from his breast pocket, neatly folded, and handed it to Lord Baelish.

Lord Baelish did not unfold the cloth, just held it in his hand, now seemingly speechless.

"We shall be taking our leave now," said Bronn, and he took Rowena by the hand, his other arm still protectively around her waist, and headed down the hall. Baelish did not move or speak, but the guards, fully armed, stepped warily out of Bronn's path to let them pass.

Rowena held tightly to his hand, relieved and still in disbelief that they might be able to escape this situation so easily…


	2. Chap 2 Bronn's Return from Battle

**Bronn's Return**

Rowena had no idea how long she'd been locked away in Bronn's rooms during the battle, but she had finally fallen asleep at first rays of dawn. The noise outside had changed considerably. She had smelled burning wood, and another smell, which she knew was probably the sickening smell of burning flesh. There was yelling and screaming, but the blood-curdling screams of men were the worst, and at times she covered her ears and tried to hide under the furs on the bed to drown them out. When she woke, the noise had died down considerably, although there was a still a great deal of activity and she could hear excited voices coming from the streets. She took this as a sign that the city had not fallen, but felt a feeling of panic when she realized she had yet to receive any news about her sellsword.

Finally, she heard footsteps in the corrider and a very light knock on the door. She held her breath, not moving for a moment, and watched as she saw a shadow just outside and something being pushed underneath the door. She was sure she knew what it was, but tiptoed over as quietly as possible, reaching down to retrieve the lock of hair that Bronn had cut from her tresses before he left her. She had been forbidden to open the door to anyone or for any reason until she saw that lock of hair, and had been given no instructions on what to do if for some reason he did not return. He wouldn't consider the possibility, and she tried to do the same.

She unbolted the door with trembling anxious hands and pulled it open cautiously, stepping back and out of the way, just in case. She was relieved to see a very weary and battle worn Bronn standing in the doorway, and stood aside as he walked in, followed by the squire, who had been the last one to leave her.

She was not quite prepared for his appearance though. He was covered in mud, soot and sand. And blood, so much blood that she couldn't tell if any of it was his, but he did not appear to have any serious injuries as she watched him walk into the room. She saw scratches and flecks of blood on his face and hands, but no sign of serious wounds. He was not wearing armor, of course, so he slumped, exhausted, into the nearest chair.

Finally turning his eyes to her, he looked relieved and almost sad. She ran towards him, wanting to throw herself at him, but he put up a hand to keep her at arms length, shaking his head no. Even at that distance she could now see that he was covered nearly head to toe in filth and blood, smelling of burnt ashes, and the odor she recognized as blood.

He rubbed his forehead for a moment and then putting his hand under his chin, his elbow resting on the table, turned his full attention on Rowena.

"Why are you still wearing that dress?" He asked her, irritation evident in his weary voice.

"It's the only dress I ha—" Rowena broke off in mid-sentence, now remembering the last words he'd said to her.

"_When I return" he'd said, "And I WILL return…I expect you to be waiting for me, naked, and at my command."_

She blushed now and looked at the squire. Bronn gave her a slightly annoyed look, turned to the squire and ordered him to leave. As soon as the squire exited the room, closing the door behind him, Bronn turned back to Rowena, looking at her expectantly, and impatiently.

She did not dare to hesitate under that gaze, pulling the dress off of her shoulders until it slid to the floor in a swirl of fabric at her feet, leaving her completely naked in front of him. He didn't smile, but he looked satisfied with her at least. He gazed at her for a long moment, admiring her from head to toe, and then got up and walked to the door, drawing the bolt across it once again.

"Are you injured?" Rowena finally managed to speak, hesitantly, still having no idea what his temper or mood was like yet.

"Nothing that will kill me," he replied casually, with a dry smile. "And the city is safe…for now."

Rowena breathed a sigh of relief, as her body began to tremble under his gaze, and in the cold air of the early morning.

He didn't speak but stood up and walked over to the bed, motioning for her to come to him. She tried to walk casually, gracefully, but she was nervous and trembling violently now. She was filled with fear and anticipation, a combination she was becoming used to, but did not think once to disobey him.

"Come," he said, again motioning with his arm, guiding her to stand next to the bed, but not actually touching her. She was now facing the side of the bed, with her legs pressed against it, feeling the soft fur against her bare legs. He moved behind her now, and placed a hand on the middle of her back, between her shoulder blades.

"Bend forward," he commanded, "and reach your hands across to the other side."

She did as she was told, folding her body across the bed, stretching her arms out in front of her as far as she could, almost reaching the opposite side of the bed. For a moment he said nothing, and she thought he must be just admiring the view of her in this position. Her face was growing warm, but she was also feeling that now familiar tingling throughout the rest of her body, and she tried to breathe deeply and slowly, in a vain attempt to calm her nerves.

She heard him untying the laces of his britches, and then felt his nakedness pressing against her, and the feel of his skin against hers was both unexpected and exhilirating. He did not touch her with his hands there as he had before. She realized it was because he was so filthy from battle that he was trying to touch her as little as possible. Then she could feel him slowly pushing his hips forward. He told her to spread her feet apart, until she could feel him easing into her from behind. She gasped at this feeling that was not completely new to her, but it was an all new experience to feel his cock sliding into her, unlike the leather handled dagger. His flesh mixing together with hers was the most intense thing she'd ever felt. She was finally experiencing what she had instinctively wanted that night in the brothel,

He started out slowly, just as he had before, and just as she was getting used to the strange new feeling of having a man inside of her, he began to thrust more vigorously. And she cried out at the sudden shock of how her body stretched to accommodate him. It was painful to an extent, but mostly just strange and uncomfortable at first. But she realized now she would endure anything for his man, who had just risked his life and seen horrors she could probably not imagine. And the pain was quickly becoming mixed and replaced with feelings of pleasure, as he moved harder and faster, pounding his hips against her over and over. She cried out with each powerful thrust, but at the same time, felt herself tilting her hips up and back and willingly pushing back against him.

He almost sounded as if he was in pain, too, and before very long, he gave a loud low groan as he slammed into her and then went back to easing himself in and out of her very slowly. They were both breathing heavily, and after a few more moments, he became still, leaning his body over hers and resting against her. Breathing heavily, they stayed like that for several long moments, both forgetting how filthy he and his clothing were.

Stand up and turn around, he ordered. And as she did, he took a step back and practically fell into the chair, satiated and exhausted. He was leaning back observing her, again as if she was some strange creature he'd never seen before, taking in every inch of her nude body with great admiration.

"Did I please you, my lord?" She asked meekly, feeling quite vulnerable and exposed, but not wanting to disappoint him for anything in the world.

He managed a smile, tho the weary sadness had returned to his eyes. "Sit", he said gently. She sat in front of him, her knees tightly pressed together, wanting to cover her naked breasts with her arms, but knowing somehow that he would object.

"Yes, love, you have more than pleased me," he said, with real tenderness in his eyes, still smiling. "But I'm afraid I still cannot have you as I would like."

The squire had returned to knock at the door. Bronn nodded towards the door, and Rowena jumped up to open it, then hesitated, as she glanced back at her dress on the floor, andn then back to Bronn. He merely shook his head, and she bowed her head, and went to the door as she was, unbolting it to let the squire in. The poor young squire was obviously not expecting a naked Rowena to open the door for him, and quickly averted his eyes as he stepped past her to address Bronn.

"They are waiting for us in the throne room," he said, the embarrassment obvious on his red face. "There is no time for any of us to bathe or get fresh clothing."

Rowena was confused and looked to Bronn for an explanation.

"Looks like you will soon be the wife of a knight, m'lady" he said to her with mock arrogance, and smiled smugly. Rowena had barely caught the knight reference, too distracted by the mention of the word 'wife'.

He stood now and walked close to her, still not touching her except to brush the hair away from her face. He smiled at her bewildered look and laughed. "But you will still call me 'my lord', won't you?" He asked teasingly. Rowena breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. He was here, he was alive, he was overall unharmed, and not only was he going to be knighted, it seemed, but planned to make her his wife. It was all very overwhelming, and the relief and joy she felt had her near tears.

"I must go now," he said, sounding disappointed, "but I will be back, and you should be ready for all of the things that I will do to you as my wife, and all of the things you will learn to do for me."

Rowena felt the familiar stirrings in her body and wanted to throw her arms around him but knew that he wouldn't let her. Still fighting the urge to cover herself, she tucked her hands beneath her legs, bowed her head to him and whispered, "Yes, my lord."

This earned her a wicked grin and look of satisfaction from him, and as always, she basked in his approval. "Get some rest," he said, leaning in to kiss her lightly on the forehead. "I have plans for you later."

"Yes, my lord," she repeated, smiling herself now, as a shiver of excitement went all the way thru her body. And then he was gone, with the squire following close behind. Rowena bolted the door behind them, and then collapsed on the bed, wrapping herself in the fur, suddenly realizing how exhausted she was herself. She could still feel where he had been inside of her, realizing that he had come back for one reason and one reason only, to make good on his promise, even though he had so little time. But that small amount of time would keep her mind and body on edge even as she drifted to sleep, re-playing the whole scene in her head over and over again….


	3. Chap 3 A Bath and Dinner with Ser Bronn

It was well past dark when he returned, the squire still in tow, and Rowena roused herself from her sleepy state to unbolt the door to let them in. She didn't think much now of being undressed in front of the squire, realizing it made him just as uncomfortable, maybe more so, and this thought was almost amusing to her, making her feel less self-conscious and almost bold.

The squire began to bring buckets of water in to fill the tub that stood in the center of an adjoining room, and Rowena followed silently as Bronn went in, and sat down to let the squire remove his boots. Then he stood, and started to undress. Rowena did not hesitate now, and moved in to stop his hands, taking the bottom of his tunic and standing on her toes as she pulled it gently over his battered body, revealing cuts and scrapes and bruises. She could not resist running her hand across the hard muscled chest and stomach she had seen and admired for the first time in her own private rooms over the stables. She did not meet his gaze, but knew his was watching her with approval, and probably some amusement, as she felt clumsy and knew he could see her hands were shaking.

She went to unlace his trousers, and pulled them down, kneeling as she did, revealing him in all of his nakedness. He balanced himself with one hand on her shoulder as he lifted one foot and then the other so that she could completely remove his trousers. As she sat up on her knees, she saw that he was holding his cock in his hand, and that it was mere inches from her face. She was frozen for a moment, but he stroked her cheek gently, and then grabbed a handful of her hair to hold her in place, watching realization dawn on her face.

She looked up at him then, in shock, as she'd never thought of such a thing, and he laughed, but not cruelly. When he saw her intial shock turn to fear and confusion, he smiled.

"Oh yes, love," he said firmly. "I will teach you all the ways that you can please a man. And all the ways I can please you."

He released his hold on her hair and stroked her cheek again, before offering his hand to help her to her feet.

She watched as he stepped to stand over a drain in the floor, and the squire stood on a stool to pour several buckets of steaming water over him. She stood mesmerized as the dirt and grime and blood washed down his body. Suddenly feeling very possessive, she stepped boldly up to the squire and addressed him directly. "I will do it.".

The squire looked to Bronn, expecting him to object, but the sellsword only smiled at Rowena, and then turning to the squire, spoke sternly. "You heard my lady. Leave us now."

The squire hesitated only a moment, but Bronn shot him an angry look and he scurried off as quickly as he could, bowing politely to Rowena before he left.

Now that most of the grime had been washed from his body and down the drain, he stepped into the tub and sank down into the still steaming water, closing his eyes and breathing a deep sigh.

Rowena picked up a cloth the squire had left on the side of the tub, dipped it into the water and began gently and lovingly wiping off his face with the warm clean fabric. As she worked her way down to his neck and shoulders, she thought only of how much she cared for him, and how glad she was that he had returned to her, and kept her safe, just as he had promised.

She moved to his arm and held it up as she scrubbed it thoroughly, trying to take care over the various scrapes and scratches, then moved to the other side to repeat the process on his other arm. Then she stood behind him, scrubbing his back as he sat forward, and she could not resist rubbing her hands over his taught muscles, knowing how worn and beaten his body must be feeling.

When she came around to start on his chest, she hesitated for a moment, and he held out a hand to her. She took it and he guided her to step into the tub with him. He stretched his legs out and apart, resting his feet on the opposite end of the tub. She knelt down in the water between his outstretched legs, and leaned forward to start the process over on his chest, working her way down. Feeling his eyes watching her, she felt nervous and clumsy again, but he regarded her very tenderly. He was relaxed and seemed to enjoy her gentle attention, moving only to push a stray hair from her face now and then.

She hesitated as she moved down his chest, but he took her hands firmly in his and placed them directly on his groin. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks, and he was smiling in amusement at her obvious discomfort. Rowena touched him gingerly here, not wanting to hurt him, and not knowing _how_ to touch him there, but was surprised and almost pleased when she felt him growing harder as she attended to her bathing duties. Next she scrubbed each leg clean, one at a time, right down to his toes. Then, with her back to him, she hesitated, not knowing what to do next. But before she could think, he reached forward and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her down into the water with him, as she squealed in surprise and laughter, until she was pressed back against his chest.

"That was the most pleasant bath I've ever had," he proclaimed with a laugh. "I think I shall have you bathe me all the time from now on."

He grabbed a handful of her hair and turned her face to his and kissed her. "And I shall return the favor," he said, flashing his wicked grin. Rowena smiled shyly, still somewhat embarrassed, but she soon forgot all that as he began to trail kisses over her cheek and down her neck to her shoulder. Then he pulled her tight against him, and she rested her head on his chest and felt she could fall asleep right here.

But after a short time, a noise at the doorway interrupted them. It was the squire, clearing his throat to get their attention, his eyes glued to the floor. "Your supper is ready, Sir, m'lady", he spoke haltingly, obviously embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Fine." Said Bronn. "Thank you, squire, you may leave us for the evening. Stand guard outside the door, please."

He stood and stepped out of the tub, offering Rowena his hand as he helped her out. Then taking the sheet next to the tub, wrapped it around both of their wet bodies and held her tightly too him, face to face, warming her and making her tremble at the same time. Now she could wrap her arms around him, and held tightly to him, not wanting to let go.

After a few moments, he dried her body as well as he could, and more gently than she would've thought possible, before drying himself. Then taking her by the hand, he led her into the other room, where their supper had been laid out on a table. A fresh white robe had been laid on the bed, and she went to pick it up to bring to him, but he shook his head.

"No need for clothes when we're all alone." He said, his eyes sparkling playfully.

He led her to a chair and held it out for her, leaning over to whisper in her ear, "Besides, we won't be needing any clothing for what I have planned."

She blushed again, but was growing more comfortable and less self-conscious as time went on, but still she crossed her arms over her bare breasts, hugging her shoulders, all the while knowing it would not be tolerated. He grabbed both her hands and pulled them away, placing them on the table in front of her. "I want to see you." He whispered into her ear before walking to the other side of the table to sit down. He watched her squirm and smiled as she began fidgeting with the utensils and anything else on the table she could find to keep her hands busy. Finally he began to pile food onto a plate, and she watched for a moment before following suit. And once they began to eat and he recounted a few details of the battle, she became almost oblivious to the fact that she was sitting down for a meal, with a man, completely naked.

But still she was distracted by the sight of him sitting across from her, his hard muscled chest with it's collection of scars, the memory of his bath and the affect her hands had on his body. She couldn't begin to imagine what the rest of the evening might be like. She toyed with her food, moving it around the plate, finding it difficult to eat. But then she realized he had stopped eating, and was giving her a mildly accusing look.

"You must eat, love" he admonished. "For you will need your energy this night."

Rowena did her best to concentrate on the food in front of her and tried to eat and not think about things to come later…


End file.
